


Fly You Fool

by kusuri



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragon Jousters AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 09:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16679134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kusuri/pseuds/kusuri
Summary: Zack and Cloud escape the military stables. Prized experiments can't be lost after so much monetary investment...





	Fly You Fool

**Author's Note:**

> AU where they are dragons, that's it. Takes place in Mercedes Lackey's Dragon Jousters series. I highly reccomend it, think fantasy, but with an Ancient Egyptian based world.  
>  I wrote this around 10 years ago and never had the guts to post it. It is heavily influenced and inspired by @sleepswithcoyotes wonderful Mascot!verse. Here it is in it's unedited glory.

Zack winced as an arrow grazed his left wing.The pale, purple appendage straining to find warm thermals of wind.In his talons was clutched a fledgling.His warm, pale hide was a beacon to the hunters.Zack's large purple eyes were locked on the desert straight ahead, never veering from his course. Between powerful wing beats, and breaths, the large dragon would hum conversation to his unconscious burden. The black dragon's maw tilted into an easy smile as he described the landscape around them. Zack chuckled at the hunter's persistence.

"They're not catching us today Cloud, right? We're gonna fly right on out of here. No more pain, no more dusty meat, and no humans to ever bother us again.We're gonna be okay Cloud, we're out"

The purple winged dragon hummed contentment to the fledgling he carried. The young gold didn't respond.

"eh, its all right.You don't have to talk to me yet.Not until we're long gone from here."

Zack found a strong  thermal of hot desert air and slowly spiraled upward, arrows and spears whistling past.

"Besides, you're heavy. If you were anymore of a distraction we'd never make it out of here."

The fledgling's head flopped over and his blue eyes glassily focused on nothing.

" Aw common Spike, you know I didn't mean that in a bad way."

At that moment, an fire fledged arrow whistled past his friend's head. Zack never lost his lazy look, but the tight muscles of his wings betrayed his irritation. With a small whine, his neck snaked out and he snapped the flaming stick straight out of the air. The purple-winged dragon's instincts warred with him, to drop his burden, flee; to get out of this vulnerable position at any cost. But he was facing his adversaries, and now was a time as good as any to switch to the defensive. A large blue dragon was bearing down on them, a human clinging like a parasite to it's back. As the others,a green and brown came within striking distance, Zack reared back and let loose a cloud of flames. Purple fire tinged black consumed the three dragons and their riders.Screaming, their pursuers plummeted towards the earth

_ Three down, but how many more to go? _

The black dragon panted. It took more effort to stay in one place rather than constantly move. His violet tipped wings gave a violent heave, and then his scaled hide was cutting the air again. As fresh desert air whistled past his ears, Zack's head swung from side to side.

_ There's got to be a good hiding place somewhere? _

Beneath him stretched miles of sand. Flat,open, and vulnerable.

His sharp eyes found a herd of wild ass steadily moving northward for the night.Zack's scales blended seamlessly with the night sky and he carefully followed the donkeys. He glided silently and as low as the hot wind would allow. Sure enough, they led him to shelter and better yet, it came with a rather large meal.

Growling softly to Cloud, Zack muttered

"We'll be eating soon."

Then his talons loosened. The gold dropped like stone and several yards beneath him Zack dove toward his prey.At the last minuet, the larger dragon snapped his wings open and dropped upon his prey. The force of his weight broke the animal's back and it died instantly. Knowing he had hit his mark, the black trotted toward his companion.Cloud lay in the sand, sprawled gracelessly on his smooth belly.The gold's head was tilted in an irritated manor.

"Aw come on buddy. You know I'd never drop you from really high up.You're fine now right? Even with Jousting dragon reflexes I'd never be able to catch a donkey after safely settling you down."

The gold seemed to stare in indignant silence. Yet a low, gentle vibration seemed to come from the fledgling.

The black dragon's fangs gleamed in the darkness.

"okay, okay, I'll feed you. Gosh."

Zack walked back to his kill and carefully dragged the heavy beast into the hollowed out dune.

_ Hm.My aim was perfect.He landed just outside of it. Must be true that Jousting dragons never lose their instincts. _

Then, he grabbed the gold by his neck tenderly and carried his in. The purple winged dragon carefully eased his flockmate's jaws open and fed him the most digestible tidbits: heart, liver, thigh, the good stuff. There was one breath stopping moment where Cloud seemed like he was stirring, but then he fell back into his slumber.

_ What kind of tala were the humans giving you Cloud? And how much? _

His long, rough purple tongue gently swiping over the golden scales.Once his friend was properly fed and cleaned, Zack finished the carcass. He had to get up his strength for the last push. One more day and Cloud would be free of the humans, forever lost in the wilderness of the mountains. With that soothing thought in his head, Zack dozed off, one ear on alert, the other  swiveled and tuned on Cloud's breathing.

The next day both of them went hungry. Clutching Cloud tightly in his claws, he used his tail for leverage as he launched into the air. Already he could smell humans and their tala drugged dragons behind them. They found themselves unharassed for most of the day. But by sun high, the other dragons had caught up. The desert was giving way to scrub land when Zack touched down. He placed Cloud gently down and nudged the gold's head into a comfortable position. His violet gaze was fond and his voice soft.

"Well buddy, these guys just wont leave us alone and frankly, I'm tired of running. Don't you worry. I'll deal with them and be right back. You know I wont leave you."

The gold's wing drooped forlornly.

"I'm sorry Cloud, but I have to lead them away. I promise I wont leave you."

And with that his purple wings lifted him away.

Zack's breath was ragged, his mouth torn and bleeding. Embedded in his flanks were many arrows. But the humans had yet to ground him. Wings straining without thermals, Zack darted at his enemies. His fangs flashed in the dimming sunlight as he raked their faces and necks. The humans garbled tongue rose and fell as they loosed volleys of arrows at the black. Zack rolled in the air, but he couldn't avoid all of them. He grunted as the sharp sticks cut through his hide, but fought on. Muscles trembling in exhaustion, he reared back and belted out bright purple flame. The front rank screamed and fell, but another line replaced them

_ Jeez.All of these guys just to bring the two of us back. How annoying. _

His thick tail lashed a rider out of his dragon's saddle. No longer under the control of a human, the grey beast fled into the night. Zack whirled around, weary, but still in the air, still fighting. He slashed another neck and saw the green fall.

_ I've got no time for this, Cloud's waiting. _

Impatience spurred his burning wings onward. He climbed the cold air upwards, gaining height with each wing beat. Fresh dragons and riders chased behind him hotly. When he gained the height needed, he abruptly furled his wings and plummeted down. His large bulk caught many dragons on his way down and he swiftly bit and clawed their backs. Not taking time to see if he'd done fatal damage, he snapped his wings open and desperately clawed for more height.

_ Dumb move Zack,dumb move. There's advantage in height and now your back is expo- _

He felt the weight crashing into him too late. Down, the two dragons fell, into an eruption of sand. Zack swiftly gathered his wits and snaked his head around, jaws closing on the foolish dragon's neck. He didn't let go until he heard a satisfying crunch.

_ Move, body, move. Up on your feet now. Claws in the sand. You can't give up yet. Cloud's waiting back there in the scrub. Just because you're grounded doesn't mean you're done. _

He quickly tried to unfurl his wings and growled. Under the other dragons talon's his left wing was shredded and broken in many places. He clamped the appendage tightly to his body, hissing.

_ Just have to fight on the ground now. No big deal. _

But for the first time, fear was consuming him. The pack of warriors dove in from above raking his back and flanks. Arrows dove from the sky nonstop. But Zack fought on. He had to. If he didn't make it, Cloud would....

Just that thought enraged him and he rose into a hind leg stand, fore claws locking into the nearest flying dragon and bringing him down to the earth, teeth buried into his throat.

**Whoosh,thud.**

Zack released his foe abruptly as he reeled backward. Violet eyes wide, he glanced down at the spear nestled in his chest. Rage bubbled within him like the blood dribbling from his jaws. He lunged forward, toward the spear thrower, only to have three more lodged into his gut. Grunting, the great dragon gave one, last, futile leap forward. The black's head met the soft cushion of sand. Moaning softly, he tried to find the strength to get up. He couldn't. From the corner of his eye, he saw the sand turn red.

_ What was he doing on the ground? He should be up in the air. He needed to be up there,f ighting. He needed to bring Cloud home. Show what life without humans was like. _

His black tail thrashed in the sand. He felt warm jaws close about his neck as his vision started to fade.

_ No grudge brothers, but you must release me. I have to stay awake.Cloud's waiting. Let me g- _

**_Crunch_ **


End file.
